A brief yet fascinating history of Rolls Royce

There is a prestigious selection of internationally renowned and recognized brand names that, when spoken, automatically conjure specific images and feelings of grandeur, none more so than Rolls Royce. 

So whether you are a Rolls Royce enthusiast who simply cannot get enough of learning all there is to know about the brand or else simply an interested potential buyer of what has always been your dream car, you have come to the right place. Continue reading for a brief yet fascinating history of Rolls Royce. 

In the Beginning…

Inarguably, the most famous luxury car producer from Britain is, of course, the Rolls Royce company, which, believe it or not, started by producing engines for airplanes before moving into producing high-end cars.

Way back in 1904, a Manchester gentlemen’s club was the setting of the first meeting of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, with the former being one of England’s first car dealers and the latter running an electrical business.

The very first Rolls Royce, a two-cylinder motorcar, was publicly showcased at the end of that year at the Paris Salon and was named the ‘Royce 10’. 

Owning a Rolls

There is a strong sense of pride and prestige associated with owning a Rolls Royce, and whether you are about to buy one, have recently bought one, or else are looking for Rolls Royce sell options, everything must be done to the letter. With owning one, you have to know of the most iconic feature of any Rolls Royce motorcar: the ornament on the hood, which is called ‘The Spirit of Ecstasy’. Many people are unaware of the history of the famous model. A famous car collector named Baron John Edward Scott-Montagu commissioned the figure to be based on his secret mistress, a secretary at his company, widely thought to be named Eleanor Thronton. 

Notable Events in the History of Rolls Royce 

The timeline of the Rolls Royce company and its large strides from one success to another is a fascinating one, with the following notable events in its history being perhaps the most interesting of them all:

• The Royce 10 has 10 horsepower hence its name 
• An illuminated version of The Spirit of Ecstasy was banned by the EU
• An impressive sixty-five percent of Rolls Royce cars are still on the road 
• Unlike most other cars, the cap on a Rolls never spins and remains stationary
• The interior of a Rolls Royce is made from the skin of a bull 

Rolls Royce & Bentley

In 1931, after denying several potentially incredibly profitable attempts to buy the company from them for an impressive price, Rolls and Royce bought Bentley, another famous British car company. 

Bentley’s factory was situated in Cricklewood, North London, and was shut down, with all Bentley production and manufacturing then taking place in Derby, the home of the Rolls Royce factory. In 2002, BMW then bought Rolls Royce and had to pay millions of pounds for the right to the designs and blueprints of The Spirit of Ecstasy.